Can opener



May 12, 1925. 1,537,110

n H. J. EDLUND CAN OPENER Filed May 24. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l J0 11)l l .27 y l BxwM/g" A TTORNE YS May 12, 1925.

VH. J. EDLUND GAN oraux Filed nay 24, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.':o by the cutting of the blade in the can so tion.

Patented 4May 12,1925. j l

UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i HENRY J; EDLUND, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

GAN OPENER.

Application filed May 24, 1924. Serial No. 715,631.

To all whomy it may concem: ing the results set out in the foregoing soas Be it 'known that I, HENRY J. EDLUND, to provide a strong, durable,reliable' and a citizen of the United States,and a resident convenientlyoperable can opener which of Burlington, in the county of Chittendencomprises but' relatively few parts and 5 and State of Vermont, haveinvented certain which will be thoroughly practical commer- 5i? new anduseful Improvements in Can Opencially. ers, of which the following is aspecilication. Other objects and advantages will be ap- My invention isan improvement in can parent froml the following description, conopenersof thattype which affords facilities sidered in conjunction with theaccompanyfor rotating a can in Contact with a cutting ing` drawings, inwhich: 60 blade to effect cutting of the can top, and Figure 1 is a Viewpartly in side elevation it consists intheI combinations, constructionsand partly in vertical section, showingv a. and arrangements hereindescribed and can opener embodying the present invention claimedF i inposition for use,v The present invention may be described Figure 2 is asection along the line 2-T-2 of 65 as a branch or species of the broadinvention Figure 1, disclosed in my prior application for Let- Figure 3is a section along the line 3-'-3 ters Patent of the kUnited States, forimof Figure 1, j l provements in can Opening devices, Serial' Figure 4'is a relatively enlarged frag- ZO att-607,845), filed December 19, 1922.mentary vertical sectional view, showing the' 70 In my aforesaid priorapplication I disblade of the device in piercing relation to a closed anorel can opening device vhaving can top close to the marginal edge ofthe means for engaging with the peripheral latter and showing the meansfor controlling vwall of a can of any one of a considerable the movementof the blade in respect to the l5 range of sizes, to cause'rotation ofthe can can and the means for rotating the can in in engagement with acutting blade toengagement with the cutting blade, and Vgether with animproved cutting blade Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective adapted, enrotation of the can in engagegroup view, showing the major elements ofment therewith, to roll the edge provided the' opener 1n drawn-apartdetached posithat the edge of the opening defined by the -In carryingoutmy invention, I-provide a cut will be continuously smooth.l Meansalso post 1 which preferably is non-circular in is provided in a deviceembodying -the incross sectional contour and is slidable in a `ventionas disclosed in my aforesaid prior vertical sleeve 2. The latter isattached to :$5 application for adjusting the position of Ja table top 3or like support'by-Ineans of a 85 j10 point somewhat removed from themarginal from the sleeve 2 in overlying relation to the cutting blade inrespect to the marginal clamp-screw 4 carried by a lug 5 extending edgeof the can which -is to be opened` laterally from the sleeve underneaththe top' through the use of the device so thatfthe 3 in conjunction witha horizontal'plate 6 cutting blade will pierce the lcantop at a kwhichis integral with and extendsllaterally edge Of the can top and then willbe moved the table top, the plate 6 being provided at in cuttingengagement with the .can top its marginal edge with a depending flangenearly to lthe marginal edge of the can top .7 resting upon the tabletop and spacing the and practically 'the entire top will be sevplate 6from th'e'table top. The plate 6 ered'from the can when the latter hasbeen preferably is formed with openings receiv-'v 95 completely rotatedin engagement with the `ing screws 8 which enter the table top andcutting blade. thus aid in securing the sleeve 2 to the table An objectof the present invention is to top 3 and in addition hold the plate 6rigidsimplify the construct-ion of a can opener ly to the table top. Thepost 1 is slidable i which will afford facilities foraccomplishvertically in the sleeve 2 but isbeld against 190 v rotationabout the axis of the latter by reason of the engagement of the walls ofthe post with the inner wall of the sleeve.

The post 1 is merged at its upper end into the walls of a tubularhousing 9 and the latter is fashioned to provide in its lower past asubstantially cylindrical chamber 10 for the recept-ion of a rotor 11.The rotor 11 is in the form of a disk having a threaded central openingscrewed on a reduced threaded portion 12 of a shaft 13 against ashoulder 14 on the latter. The shaft is disposed vertically in thetubular housing 9 and has the lower end portion 15 thereof formed tohave a diameter less than that of the threaded portion 12, said reducedlower end portion being journaled in a vertical socket 16 in the bottomwall of the chamber 10.

The' housing 9 is provided with a lateral opening 17 opening from theouter wall thereof into the chamber 10 and located at the same side ofthe post 1 asthe plate 6. The rotor 11 protrudes through the opening 17from the chamber 10.- The rotor 11 has a circumferentially extendingseries of teeth 18 on its periphery, the respective teeth be.-

v ing inclined in respect to the perpendicular.

The tubular housing 9 is provided at its upper end and at anappreciabledistance above the chamber 10 with a lateral extension which extendslaterally of the same side of the post 1 as the plate 6 and is formed toprovide a pair of spaced ears 19 connected at their upper edges andmerged into the walls of the housing 9 by a sub# stantially horizontalweb portion 20. The tubular housing 9 is in open eonnnunication with thespace between the ears 19 and an arm 21 of a bell crank lever 22 whichis fulcrumed on a horizontal pin that is secured at its ends in alinedopcningsin the ears 19 extends into the tubular housing 9, and isprovided at its inner end withforks 23 adapted to slidingly embrace theshaft 13 and to rest upon a washer 24 which slides on the shaft- 13. Theextremities of the forks 23 preferably are rounded, as shown.

The other arm of the bell crank lever 22 is indicated at 25 and dependsfrom the' the shank of the cutter blade and is adapted to abut the wallof the tubular housing when the blade is in the position shown in Figs.

1 and 4. A lock-or jam nut on'the outerl end portion of the stop screwengages with the arm 25 to hold the screw in adjusted position inrespect to the arm 25 and critter blade 27. Thel cutter blade dependsbelow the lower end of the arm' 25 and below the ylevel of the rotor 1l.The specific blade which I prefer to employ is described in my aforesaidprior application forv'patent, but

.at a slight distance from the marginal edge of the can top and onactuation of the bell crank lever in a manner to be presently described,to more radially outward in cutting engagement with the can top almostto Inarginal edge of the can top and then when the can is rotated to cutthe can top along the marginal edge of the latter. An expansion spring31 encircles the shaft 13 between'the washer 24 and an inwardlyextending annular stop 32 which is formed on the inner wall of thehousing 9 at the upper end of the chamber 10. The action of the spring3l tends to raise the washer 24and the larm 21 of the bell crank leverand thus to swing the knife carrying arm 25 inward. A sleeve plunger 33which has limited sliding movement on the upper end portion of the shaft13 will be moved downward from the position shown in Figure 4 and by thefull lines in Figure 1 to the osition illustrated by the dotted lines inigure 1, when a crank handle 34 having a pair of spaced cam ears 35straddling an upstanding lug 36 at the upper end of the shaft 13 andpivotally attached by a horizontal pin 37 to the latter has been swungfrom the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. Thisdownward move- 'ment of the plunger will be caused by the contact of thecam ears 35 therewith and will be against the action of the spring 31. Aflange 38 at the upper end of the plunger serves to give the cam portionof the handle a relatively large bearing surface. When the handle 34 isin the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, the arm 21will have been swung downward in the tubular housing from the positionShown in Figure 4 and the arm 25 will havebeen swung outward from theposition shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 4. As soon as the handle34 has been swung to horizontal po sition, the sleeve plunger is movedupward in response to the actuation of the spring l31 to an extentsuliicient to permit swinging movement of the arm 25 inward until thestop 29 abuts the tubular housing.

. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. Cans of various sizes,shapes and types of construction can be opened through the use of thedevice. A can of a given size and shape is placed upon the plate 6 whichmay be termed a table and the post 1 with the parts carried thereby, 'ashereinbefore described, is adjusted vertically in the sleeve 2 untilLasagne the cutter lblade 27 rests upon the to of the can at a pointsomewhat' removed rom 4the marginal ed e ofthe can, the handle 34 7 faceof the body thereof will be in contact with the teeth on the peripheryof therotor l1. 'A slight blow or pressure-*onthe top \of the handlewill cause the cutter blade to'penetrate the can top. The handle 34.now. is swung toflowered position and the v consequent movement of thebellcrank lever will .force the blade radially outward in cuttingengagement with'the can top nearly to the marginal edge of thelatter.vvThe edge portion of the can top that will marD gin the. opening whichwill be provided when the eanhas been completely rotated in engagementwith the cutter blade will Abe turneddownward and will have aEcontinuously smooth edge, thus obviating the cutting or tearing of thelingers of the operator and permitting the removal intact of thecontents of the can. The rotation of the can is caused by the engagementof the teeth of the rotor therewith when the latter is .operated Therotor isv operated by turning the shaft 13 through the agency ofthehandle 34. The engagementk of the teeth with the body of t-he can atthe upper end of the latter is at a point close to the point ofcuttingaction of the blade 27 at any given time and the inclination ofthe teeth 184 is such that the can will be fed or forced upward againstthe cutting edge 'of the blade 27v by the action of the teeth Iof therotor on the cail.

` of as -fairly Obviously, the invention vis susceptible o-f embodimentin forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and I therefore consider as my own all' such modifications andadaptations therefall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. In a can opening deviceya vertically adjustable post, a horizontalsupport at one.

side of said post and ladjacent thereto on which a can may be disposed,a blade, means carried by said post for adjustably supporting said bladeabove said horizontal support and in positio'n` to penetrate the top 'ofthe can on said :horizontal support, a

rotor supportedon said post forengaging with said can to -feed thelatter to said blade, a sleeve movable on saidpost in engagement `withsaid blade supportinggmeans for actuatin the latter to move the bladeradially of t e can top, and a handle pivoted to the post for turningthe latter and having a cam for actuating said sleeve.

2. In a can opening device, a table o n which a can mayl rest', a postat one edge of the table, a tubular housing at the upper -lateralopening in the housing and having i teeth on the periphery thereof forengaging with the ca n on'said table, a bell crank lever fulcrumed toswing abouta horizontal axis between said ears, saidlever having an armextending through said first named opening in to said housing and havingthe second arm thereof depending alongside of the tubular housing, ablade carried by said depending arm forv cutting engagement with the topof the can on said table, spring means within said housing urgingsaidfirst named lever arm upward to eiiect movement of the blade towardthe marginal edge of the can top, and means for rotating said shaft. n

3. In a can kopening device, a table -on which a can may rest, a post atone edge of the table, a tubular housing at the upper end of t-he posthaving a pair of horizontallaterally of the housing from a lateralopenin'g in the housing, a vertical shaft `journaled in said housing, ,arotor secured on said shaft and protruding through a second and lowerlateral opening in the housing and having teeth on the peripherythereoffor engaglng with the can onysaid table, a bell crank Vleverfulcrumed to swing about a horizontal axis between said ears, said leverhavin@ anl arm extending through said first named opening into saidhousing and having the second arm thereof depending alongside of thetubular housing, a blade carried by said depending Varm for cutting engaement with the Vtop of the can on said tab e, spring means within saidhousing urging said first named lever arm upward to effect movement ofthe blade toward the marginal `*laterally of the housing from a lateralopening. in the housing, a vertical shaft journaled in'said housing,arotor secured on said shaft and protruding through a second and lowerlateral' opening in the housing and having teeth on the peripherythereof for engaging with the canon said table, a bell xcrank leverfulcrumed to swing about a horizontal axis between `said ears, saidlever having an zii-1n extending through said first said first namedlever zum upward to effect named opening intosaid housing andhavmovement of the blade toward the marginal ing the second arm thereofdepending alongedge of the can top, means for rotating 10 lside of thetubuhuhousing, n blade carried said shaftand a stop for limiting theswingby Said depending arm for cutting engagellg IIIOVGIIIGII' 0f Sldbell Crank in IGSPOIISG ment with the `top of the can on said table, tothe actuation o f sald spring.

spring means within said housing urging HENRY J. EDLUND.

